About 2,000 years ago, a tragedy unfolded. A sixteen-year-old girl, who had suffered from scoliosis during her young life, was killed. Her red hair was shaved off on one side, she was stabbed at the base of her neck on the right shoulder, and strangled with a woollen rope. After this, she was placed inContinue reading “The Killing Fields, of the Celts”
Category Archives: religion
Rowing Souls of the Dead to Britain — The Ferryman of Solleveld
In 2004, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery at the early medieval burial ground of Solleveld, just south of the city of The Hague: a boat grave. It lies almost exactly two hundred kilometres in a straight line due east across the North Sea from the legendary ship burial at Sutton Hoo. With this extraordinary find,Continue reading “Rowing Souls of the Dead to Britain — The Ferryman of Solleveld”
Latið Meg Ei á Frísaland Fordervast! And the Murder of a Bishop
Latið meg ei á Frísaland fordervast! This is the Faroese language, and its translation is: ‘Do not let me perish in Friesland!’ It is a cry of a Faroese young woman when she was being kidnapped by Frisian pirates somewhere in the Middle Ages. The question of this blog post is not about how onContinue reading “Latið Meg Ei á Frísaland Fordervast! And the Murder of a Bishop”
Sailors Escaped from Cyclops, and Saw World’s End
“Why am I late to class? Oh, you’re gonna love this — there was this random cat in our barn this morning, right? Total stranger. And guess what? I stepped right in its poop. Yep. So before I could even think about school, I had to deal with the whole mess — literally scrubbing myContinue reading “Sailors Escaped from Cyclops, and Saw World’s End”
Magnus’ Choice. The Origins of the Frisian Freedom
According to medieval legend, around the year 800, Charlemagne and Pope Leo clashed with the citizens of Rome. The Pope was attacked and forced to flee the city. It was an army of ‘naked’ Frisians, led by Magnus, that stormed back in, retaking the citadel and the Urbs Aeterna — the Eternal City. In gratitude,Continue reading “Magnus’ Choice. The Origins of the Frisian Freedom”
Groove is in the Hearth. Very Superstitious, is the Way
The hearth was, in pre- and early medieval times, the Holy of Holies. The heart of the family. Where you would lay back and groove. Groove on the sound of the endless rain on the thatched roof, or on the sound of seawater at your feet below. Splashing against the grassy slopes of your houseContinue reading “Groove is in the Hearth. Very Superstitious, is the Way”
Croeso Gerddwyr — Hiking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Last year (2019), one of the Frisian bastards hiked the Pembrokeshire Coast Path in southwestern Wales (Cymru), a 290-kilometre-long trail. As every walker knows, hiking, pilgrimage, and spiritual peace are one and the same thing. After nine days of walking, the coast path takes you to the homeland of Saint David, Wales’s patron saint. SaintContinue reading “Croeso Gerddwyr — Hiking the Pembrokeshire Coast Path”
The Abbey of Egmond and the Rise of the Gerulfing Dynasty
The monk Ecgberht of Ripon was the driving force behind the Christianization of the defiant heathens of Frisia. From the influential monastery of Rath Melsigi in Ireland, he launched wave after wave of monks, priests, and other clergy toward the Frisian coast. Among his spiritual soldiers were the monks Willibrord and Adalbert. After receiving theirContinue reading “The Abbey of Egmond and the Rise of the Gerulfing Dynasty”
Liudger, the First Frisian Apostle
Liudger succeeded where other evangelists failed. He finally managed to convert the pagan Frisians to Christianity, because he “spoke their language”. Did he really? A very thorough study from theologian Hinne Wagenaar reveals quite a startling truth about this Frisian apostle. Some time ago I stumbled upon an article from Hinne Wagenaar, called “Liudger, apostleContinue reading “Liudger, the First Frisian Apostle”
One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger
This blog post is not about the Westfrisian writer Hendrik Jan Marsman (1937–2012), better known by his pen name Bernlef. Nor is it about the student association F.F.J. Bernlef in the town of Groningen, the Netherlands. No — this is about the original Bernlef, the bard and harp player who lived in Frisia sometime betweenContinue reading “One of History’s Most Enlightening Hikes: That of Bernlef and Ludger”
Frisia Coast Trail 